candidate

candidate · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromcandidātus“a person who is standing for public office”
2. English todaycandidate

From Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

candidate · verb²

1. Latin · derived fromcandidātus“dressed in white”
2. English todaycandidate

From Latin candidātus (“dressed in white”, adjective); see Etymology 1 for further derivations. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

First known use, by meaning

• from 1760s A person who is thought likely or worthy to gain a position or privilege.
• from 1690s A participant in an examination.
• from 1840s To stand as a candidate for an office, typically for a religious one.
• 1628–1677 To make white; to whitewash.